Collapsible umbrella

ABSTRACT

The umbrella has a telescopic stick and the dome ribs are each of three telescopic sections and stretcher means to support the dome ribs, the stretcher means hingedly connected to the outer stretcher section and a geats saddled over the dome ribs and housing the hinge connection and being slidable on the dome rib.

United States Patent Weber 5] Nov. 14, 1972 [5 COLLAPSIBLE UNIBRELLA[56] References Cited [72] Inventor: Heinz Weber, Hilden, Germany UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 1731 Sigma Tem P Y Limited Montreal- 3,135,276 6/1964Weber ..135/32 x Quebec, Canada Filed: June 1970 FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 1,117,832 11/1961 Germany ..l35/25 R [21] 7588 448,7546/1936 Great Britain ..135/26 864,180 3/1965 Italy ..13$/26 [30] ForeignApplication Priority Data July 25. 1969 Germany ..P 19 37 892.8 iz'zfigji' July 25, 1969 Germany 69 29 504.1 y y Oct. 25, 1969 Germany ..P19 53 796.3 [57] ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl. ..l/25 R, 135/32 The umbrella hasa telescopic stick and the dome ribs [51] Int. Cl. ..Ab 19/00 are eachof three telescopic sections and stretcher [58] Field of Search..135/20, 25, 26, 27, 32, 29, means to support the dome ribs, thestretcher means /30, 31 hingedly connected to the outer stretchersection and a geats saddled over the dome ribs and housing the hingeconnection and being slidable on the dome rib.

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INVENTOR Heinz WEBER A TTORNEY PAIENTEMuv 14 um SHEET 5 (IF 6 i CWINVENTOR Heinz WEBER A TTORNEY PATENTEnunm I972 3.702.618

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INVENTOR Heinz WEBER ATTORNEY COLLAPSIBLE UMBRELLA BACKGROUND OFINVENTION 1. Field of Invention The present invention relates to anumbrella and more particularly to an umbrella which is collapsible whenin a closed condition.

2. Description of Prior Art.

Reference is made to copending application Ser. No. 035,184 filed May 6,I970, inventor Heinz Weber. In the above-mentioned copendingapplication, there is described an umbrella having a telescopic stick, acrown at one end of the stick, dome ribs hinged to the crown with eachdome rib having three telescopic parts extending with the two outerparts telescoped within the first part in a closed position and thethree parts being extended to a fully extended aligned position when theumbrella is in an open condition. A main runner is slidable on the stickand articulated stretcher means are provided between the main runner andthe dome ribs for operably fully extending the dome rib to an openposition. An auxiliary runner is mounted between the main runner and thecrown for slidable movement therebetween. A strut extends from theauxiliary runner to the articulated stretcher means and the stretcherand strut members are of U-shaped construction whereby when the umbrellais in a closed condition the strut members and the stretcher membersnest one within the other.

Since the dome ribs are of three sections, it is imperative thatadequate internal stability be provided when the umbrella is in an opencondition. One of the reasons for this is that the stretcher meansengages the dome ribs at a point distant from the stick where the domerib is of a relatively smaller cross section. The geats which houses theconnecting means between the stretcher means and the dome rib has topass over the different-sized telescopic dome rib sections. The internalcross section of the geats is therefore adapted to pass over the maximumthickness of the largest dome rib section i.e. the inner dome ribsection. Therefore, when the umbrella is in its open condition, thegeats which in that situation is at the outer end of the central domerib section and is therefore loosely engaged over this section of thedome rib.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION It is therefore an aim of the present invention toprovide an arrangement whereby the geats firmly engages the end of thecentral dome rib when the umbrella is in an open condition.

According to the present invention, the geats is of a U-shapedconstruction with legs extending downwardly from the plane of the domerib and a hinge pin extends between the legs. Means are also provided onthe geats to be attached to a corresponding portion of the dome covermaterial. The outer dome rib section is connected to the hinge pin inthe geats and when the umbrella is in an open condition, the tension ofthe dome cover displaces the geats downwardly so that the web of thegeats presses against the central dome rib.

More specifically, the hinge pin passes through angled guide slots ineach leg of the geats. The angle of the guide slots extends diagonallyoutwardly and upwardly. As the geats is pulled inwardly by the tensionof the dome material the geats moves downwardly relative to the hingepin which is fixed to the outer section of the dome rib. This pressesthe web of the geats against the central dorne rib.

In a more specific embodiment of the present invention, it is preferablethat openings be provided in the legs of the geats for connecting thedome cover. This portion of the legs of the geats in which the openingsare defined is preferably bent outwardly.

In a further specific embodiment of the present invention, the outer endof the inner dome rib section is angled inwardly and upwardly so thatwhen the umbrella is being closed the geats will ride upwardly on thisangled end of the larger inner dome rib section more easily.

In still another embodiment of the present invention, there is provideda guide plate between the legs of the geats located above the hinge pin.The guide plate is not fixed to any portion of the geats and it simplydefines a slot through which the flattened end of the outer dome ribsection passes through immediately above the dome rib section inconnection with the hinge pin.

In this embodiment it is also contemplated to bend the inner end of theguide plate downwardly. Also it is of advantage to flare the inner endof the geats both in the leg portions and in the web portion. In thismanner, the movement of the geats inwardly while the umbrella is beingcollapsed to a closed position is enhanced since the flared edges of theinner end of the geats usually ride up on the inner dome rib surface asit engages the outer end of the inner dome rib section and the guideplate with its downwardly bent inner portion prevents the hinge pin frombeing caught on the exposed ends of the inner dome rib section.

BRIEF DESCRIPT ION OF THE DRAWINGS.

Having thus generally described the nature of the invention, it will bereferred to in more detail by reference to the accompanying drawingsillustrating preferred embodiments of the invention therein and inwhich:

FIG. I is a front elevation of the umbrella in an open extendedposition;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the umbrella shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of one embodiment ofthe umbrella in an open position;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of one detail of the umbrella shown in FIG.3 but in a difierent position;

FIG. 5 is an elevation of the umbrella in a closed collapsed position;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of a detail in FIG.4, looking from the side opposite opposite that seen in FIG. 4-,

FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the umbrella shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a schematic view illustration of an open umbrella without thedome cover;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged partial bottom plan view taken along lines 9--9 inFIG. 3;

FIG. 10 is a cross section taken along lines 10-10 in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged partial bottom plan view taken along lines 1 1-1I in FIG. 3;

FIG. 12 is a vertical cross section taken along lines l2l2 in FIG. I I;

FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along lines l3-l3inFIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary elevational view of another embodiment of theumbrella in an open position;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged elevational view of a typical handle taken fromFIG. 1;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged vertical cross section taken through the handleshowing elements of the umbrella when the umbrella is in a closedcollapsed position;

FIG. 17 is an enlarged vertical partially cross-sectional view of adetail shown in FIG. 14;

FIG. 18 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along lines 18-18 inFIG. 17; and

FIG. 19 is a bottom plan view of the detail shown in FIG. 17.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 to 16, there is shown an umbrella having atelescopic umbrella stick 1 comprising tubular sections 2 and 3 and 3with tube 3' being the smallest tubular section. In FIGS. 1 and 3, thestick I is extended with tubular sections 2 and 3 locked in the extendedposition by the usual ball or spring catch 4. A spring catch 4 is alsoprovided between tube sections 3 and 3.

At the end of the tube 3' is a handle 5 provided as usual with anannular recess for the accommodation of the runners when the umbrella isin a collapsed position. The main runner 7 and an auxiliary runner 8slide on the umbrella stick 1.

Tubular stick section 2 mounts a crown 9 and dome ribs 6 are hingedthereto.

Each dome rib 6 comprises three sections of approximately the samelength, namely inner section 60 near the crown, central section 6b andan outer section 6c. The sections telescope into each other. The innersection 6a and central section 6b are preferably of U shaped profilealthough outer section 60 is of circular cross section. Associated witheach dome rib 6 is a support system comprising the following components:auxiliary runner strut 10, main runner, first stretcher ll, auxiliarylink 12, dome rib second stretcher 13. The first stretcher l l is hingedto the main runner 7 while a strut 10 is hinged to the auxiliary runner8. The first stretcher member 11 is hinged to the auxiliary strut 10 atthe pivot point 14 while the strut 10 is hinged to the second stretchermember 13 at the pivot point 17. The link 12 is hinged to the firststretcher at 11 to the second stretcher at pivot point 16.

When the umbrella is in a closed condition such as shown in FIG. 5,first and second stretchers l1 and 13 and auxiliary strut 10 as well asthe link member 12 are nested one into the other to accomplish thespace-saving advantages of this umbrella.

The strut 10 and stretchers 11 and 13 are of U shaped cross section ofcorrespondingly reduced dimensions from the second stretcher l3 strut l0and the first stretcher 11 respectively. The link 12 may, however, havea flat cross section since it enters the U- shaped profile of the firststretcher 11.

The strut l0, first stretcher l1 and auxiliary link 12 are all hinged attheir respective ends. The U-shaped profile of the strut 10 is opentowards the umbrella stick I and the legs of the U-shaped profilesubtend the hinge pin 14 at its intermediate point and the firststretcher is hinged thereto within the legs of the strut 10. The openU-side of the first stretcher faces away from the umbrella stick whilethe auxiliary link 12 is hinged to the hinge 11 formed by puncheddepressions in the legs of the first stretcher 11 at a point spaced fromthe hinge pin 14. The other end of auxiliary link 12 is hinged to ahinge pin 16 between the legs 15 of second stretcher 13. At a distancefrom the hinge pin 16 corresponding to the distance between hinge points14 and 11' strut 10 is hinged to second stretcher 13 by means of a hingepin 17.

The strut l0, first stretcher 11, second stretcher l3 and auxiliary link12 form a parallelogram linkage stabilizing the dome rib support system.The support system is connected to the dome ribs by means of the secondstretcher member 13 pivotally connected to a hinge pin 23 subtendedbetween legs 26 of a geats 22. The geats 22 is in the form of ahorseshoe having a top web portion extending downwardly into legs 26.Also pivoted to the hinge pin 23 is the end 28 of the outer dome ribsection 6c. The dome rib section 6c is in a circular rod-likeconstruction, the end of the dome rib is bent downwardly and flattenedout as shown in FIGS. 6 and 9 for instance. The legs 26 of the geats 22are provided with guide slots 24 which extend at an angle upwardly andoutwardly relative to the umbrella stick, when the umbrella is in anextended position as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The hinge pin 23 is adaptedto move in the guide slots 24 on each leg of the geats 22. Hinge pin 23is therefore connecting three elements together, i.e. the secondstretcher member 13, the outer dome rib section and the geats 22.

The geats 22 must be of course of a size great enough to ride over thelarger cross section of the inner dome rib section 6a. When the umbrellais in an open position, the geats is loosely fitted over the outer endof the central dome rib portion 612. The cross section of the dome ribsection 6b is necessarily smaller than the cross section of the dome ribsection 6a since it telescopes within the section 60. In order toovercome this freeplay between the geats 22 and the dome rib section 6bwhen the umbrella is in an open extended position, openings 25 areprovided in the legs 26 of the geats 22 to which a median portion of thedome cover 27 attached by threads as shown in dotted lines 25' in FIG.3. The attachment of the dome cover 27 to these openings 25 in the legs26 of the geats 22 is such that when the umbrella is being opened,tension is produced in the dome cover 27 between its connection point tothe crown 9 and the geats 22. The tendency therefore is to pull thegeats 22 inwardly although the stretcher member 13 is forcing the geatsoutwardly by means of the hinge pin 23 in the guide slots 24. The resultis that the geats 22 rides downwardly inwardly as the hinge pin 23presses outwardly upwardly in the guide slots 24. Therefore, the upperweb portion of the relatively loose geats 22 is forced or pulled by thedome cover to bear against the top of the central dome rib section 6band provide a firm connection to increase the stability of the supportsystem with the extended dome rib sections see FIG. 4.

The hinge pin 23 is suitable for the function outlined above since itassumes a position largely free of play in relation to dome rib 6. Theouter section 6c runs in a sleeve-like end zone 29 in the centralsection 6b of the dome rib 6. In order to make it possible for geats toslide freely over the step 30, the end of the section 6a is charnferedor angled at 31 as shown in FIG. 3 and the geats 22 passes relativelyfreely over the terminal ends 32 at the end of the dome rib section 6a.

A stopping means for the extending dome rib sections see FIGS. 11-13 isprovided by means of flanges 33 and legs 34 pointing downwardly fromcentral section 6b which come against guide tabs 36 pointed inwards andextending from legs 35 of the inner dome rib section 64. The endabutment for the outermost section 60 of dome rib 6 forms a sleeve-likerolled end region of the central dome rib section 6b and bent end 28 ofthe outer section 6c comes up against the front edge 37 of thesleeve-like region.

The embodiment of the umbrella shown in FIGS. 14 through 19 is of aconfiguration substantially comparable to that of the embodiment justdescribed, except for the special arrangement of strut l0 and secondstretcher l3 and the same numbers have therefore been used. In thiscase, when the umbrella is open, strut l0 and stretcher 13 are almost ina straight line which means that in their operative position theirfunction is a triangular support structure with the dome rib 6. Both aremade of U-shaped cross section, the open sides of the Us point inopposite directions.

The extensions 38 of second stretcher 13 extends from pin 17 towards theumbrella stick and defines the extended position assumed by strut l0 andstretcher 13. The legs of the two members lock together in alignment.

The geats 22 in the embodiment shown particularly in FIGS, 18 and 19 issimilar to the geats 22 described in the previous embodiment in that ithas a hinge pin 23 slidable in oblique guide slot 24. However, there isalso provided a guide plate 40 between the legs of the U- shaped geats22 which has a slotted opening 41 therein. The end 28 of the outer domerib 6c passes through this opening in the guide plate 40. In effect theguide plate 40 lies on the hinge pin 23 in view of the position of theend 28 of the outer section 6c it is allowed to freely pivot verticallyrelative to the longitudinal axis of the dome rib. The guide plate 40includes a downwardly extending lip 42 on the end of the guide plateclosest to the umbrella stick.

Accordingly, the guide plate 40 enhances the sliding of the geats 22 asthe umbrella is being closed since the downwardly extending lip 42 ofthe guide plate 40 will easily pass underneath the terminal ends 32 ofthe inner section 6a and prevent the end 32 from engaging with the hingepin 23. Furthermore, the web 22' of the geats 22 is at 22 flared alongthe slide legs and the top web portion as shown in FIGS. 17 and 19. Thisalso enables sliding of the geats 22 as it passes from the central ribportion 6b to the inner rib portion 60 over the edge surfaces 30 and 31of the end of the inner section 60.

1 claim:

1. An umbrella having a stick, a crown at one end of the stick, domeribs hinged to the crown, each dome rib having a plurality of telescopiclinear sections including a central section adapted to receive the fullextent of an outermost section and an inner section adapted tosubstantially receive the full extent of the central section when saidumbrella is in a closed position, at least one runner slidably connectedbetween the runner and the dome ribs for fully extending the dome ribsections from a closed position to an open position and for fullytelescopin the dome rib sections from an open position to a c osedposition, the stretcher means being hmgedly connected to the outermostsections of said dome ribs a sliding geats housing said hinge connectionand adapted to slide on said dome ribs and carrying the hinge connectionof said stretcher means along said inner and central dome rib sectionsas the umbrella is opened, a dome cover on said dome ribs and attachedthereto for stretching the cover into a tensioned condition when theumbrella is in an open position, means on said geats attaching the geatsto an intermediate portion of said cover, said geats having meanscausing limited angular displacement of said geats relative to saidhinge connection of said stretcher means and the longitudinal axis ofsaid outer rib sections whereby terminal extension of said stretchermeans and said dome rib sections displaces the geats relative to thehinge connection so that they cant into a tight engagement with theoutermost dome rib sections when the cover is tensioned beyond the pointthe geats are attached to the cover when the umbrella is in a fully opencondition.

2. An umbrella as defined in claim 1, wherein the means for relativelydisplacing the geats relative to the hinge connection is characterizedby the geats being of U-shaped construction saddled on the dome rib withdownwardly extending legs, a pivot pin subtended between said legs, saidpivot pin providing the hinge connection for the stretcher means and theouter dome rib section, the legs of the geats including alligned, slotsextending angularly upwardly and outwardly and respectively receivingopposite ends of the hinge pin so that the geats can move downwardlyrelative to the hinge pin when tension force of said cover is applied tothe geats in the direction of the umbrella stick.

3. An umbrella as claimed in claim 2 wherein the means for attaching theumbrella cover includes apertures defined in the legs of the geats whensaid legs are bent outwardly in the area of the apertures.

4. An umbrella as defined in claim 2, wherein a guide plate is providedbetween the legs of the geats adapted to tilt about a lateral axis so asto enhance the sliding of the geats when the umbrella is being closed asthe geats slides over the end of the larger inner rib section.

5. An umbrella as defined in claim 4, wherein a downwardly extending lipis provided on the end of the guide plate closest to the umbrella stick.

6. An umbrella as defined in claim 5 wherein the geats is flared aboutthe sides and web portion at the end of the geats closest to theumbrella stick to enhance the sliding of the geats over the end of theinner dome rib section.

1. An umbrella having a stick, a crown at one end of the stick, dome ribs hinged to the crown, each dome rib having a plurality of telescopic linear sections including a central section adapted to receive the full extent of an outermost section and an inner section adapted to substantially receive the full extent of the central section when said umbrella is in a closed position, at least one runner slidably connected between the runner and the dome ribs for fully extending the dome rib sections from a closed position to an open position and for fully telescoping the dome rib sections from an open position to a closed position, the stretcher means being hingedly connected to the outermost sections of said dome ribs a sliding geats housing said hinge connection and adapted to slide on said dome ribs and carrying the hinge connection of said stretcher means along said inner and central dome rib sections as the umbrella is opened, a dome cover on said dome ribs and attached thereto for stretching the cover into a tensioned condition when the umbrella is in an open position, means on said geats attaching the geats to an intermediate portion of said cover, said geats having means causing limited angular displacement of said geats relative to said hinge connection of said stretcher means and the longitudinal axis of said outer rib sections whereby terminal extension of said stretcher means and said dome rib sections displaces the geats relative to the hinge connection so that they cant into a tight engagement with the outermost dome rib sections when the cover is tensioned beyond the point the geats are attached to the cover when the umbrella is in a fully open condition.
 2. An umbrella as defined in claim 1, wherein the means for relatively displacing the geats relative to the hinge connection is characterized by the geats being of U-shaped construction saddled on the dome rib with downwardly extending legs, a pivot pin subtended between said legs, said pivot pin providing the hinge connection for the stretcher means and the outer dome rib section, the legs of the geats including alligned, slots extending angularly upwardly and outwardly and respectively receiving opposite ends of the hinge pin so that the geats can move downwardly relative to the hinge pin when tension force of said cover is applied to the geats in the direction of the umbrella stick.
 3. An umbrella as claimed in claim 2 wherein the means for attaching the umbrella cover includes apertures defined in the legs of the geats when said legs are bent outwardly in the area of the apertures.
 4. An umbrella as defined in claim 2, wherein a guide plate is provided between the legs of the geats adapted to tilt about a lateral axis so as to enhance the sliding of the geats when the umbrella is being closed as the geats slides over the end of the larger inner rib section.
 5. An umbrella as defined in claim 4, wherein a downwardly extending lip is provided on the end of the guide plate closest to the umbrella stick.
 6. An umbrella as defined in claim 5 wherein the geats is flarEd about the sides and web portion at the end of the geats closest to the umbrella stick to enhance the sliding of the geats over the end of the inner dome rib section. 